


I'll Be The Voice That Guides You Through The Dark

by jishwaismyfren (orphan_account)



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff, Gen, Surgery, blurryface is also mentioned, gallbladder surgery, joshler - Freeform, of the platonic kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:04:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8983465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/jishwaismyfren
Summary: | Tyler is having surgery. Jenna is absent. Thank goodness Josh is here. | Oneshot |





	

**Author's Note:**

> this was on here before under my previous pseud and I deleted it  
> so I figured why not edit it a little and then post it again
> 
> this was inspired by an unrelated surgery I had in february  
> and my mum having her gallbladder taken out this past fall
> 
> also dedicating this one to myspookyjoshdunchristmas, love ya spook <3
> 
> enjoy my loves <3

The last time Tyler had been inside a hospital, it was during his teenage years when he had sprained his ankle whilst playing basketball. He hadn't wanted to go to the ER in the first place, but his parents had initially thought he broke it, so they made him go in anyway. It wasn't a horrific experience, yet it wasn't one of his happiest moments in life, either.

Needless to say, then, Tyler wasn't too thrilled about going to the hospital tomorrow to have his gallbladder taken out. Actually, he was nervous. Really nervous.

“What time do we have to be there again?” asked Josh. Him and Tyler were straightening up Tyler's room, in the house Tyler shared with Jenna in Columbus. It wasn't too messy in there to begin with, but he wanted to make sure that everything was just right when Tyler came home.

“The nurse said we have to arrive at five o'clock, so that I can get checked in and prepared for my imminent death,” Tyler answered, voice dry as could be.

“Ty, quit it,” Josh said. “We've talked about this; you're going to be fine. You'll have the best doctors and nurses taking care of you. And if I find out that they aren't, I'll go beat them up, okay?”

Tyler cracked a smile. “Big Brother Josh at your service.” He sighed as he flopped onto the bed, face first. “Jenna's not going to be there, though, and that sucks.”

Josh sat down next to him and clasped a hand on his shoulder. “I know, bro. It sucks that she had to fly down to her great-aunt's funeral, but she couldn't really help that.”

“Am I not more important than an estranged great-aunt who left behind a surprising, and I mean surprising, amount of money?” Tyler turned to look at Josh, who he could tell was trying hard not to laugh. “Don't answer that.”

“Seriously, bro, don't worry. You've got your best friend here. I'll take good care of you.” He gave Tyler the biggest smile that he could manage.

Tyler rolled his eyes and smiled back at him. “Okay, thanks Joshie. I'm trusting you on this one.”

“When have I ever let you down?” Josh asked.

“Well, there was this one time...”

“Shut up!” Josh laughed.

The rest of the night went by too slow for Josh and too fast for Tyler. Since Jenna was gone, Josh joined Tyler in bed to keep him company. They shared laughs and whispered tiny little fears until sleep finally overtook them.

Josh laid on his side of the bed, trying to give Tyler enough personal space, but he knew that the younger boy would always find a way near him before morning time. Because of that, it wasn't unusual for him to wake up with an arm, a leg or a head laid across his torso.

Four o'clock came by quicker than anticipated, and both of them dreaded it when the alarm on Tyler's phone went off. An annoying chirping noise, almost reminiscent of birds, filled the room at an obnoxiously loud level.

“Gosh dang Apple products and their loud freaking ringtones,” Tyler hissed, clearing out the alarm before slamming his phone down on the bed.

Josh groaned, sitting up. “Good morning to you too, Tyler.”

Tyler pulled the blanket over his head. “It's too early for this. I should still be in my dreams right now.”

Getting out of bed, Josh pulled the blanket off his friend in one swoop. “Yeah, yeah, life sucks, now let's go.”

\- - - - -

 

The ride over to the hospital was quiet. And when it was quiet like this, Josh knew that Tyler was starting to get nervous. He wanted to lean over at a red light and give him the most reassuring hug ever, but Tyler was edgy right now, a big ball of overactive nerves, and Josh knew better.

It wasn't until they were walking into the hospital entrance that Tyler finally spoke. “Jeez, I think I forgot my phone at home.”

“Don't worry about it, I'll keep in touch with everyone for you.” Josh ignored the pout Tyler gave him and led them over to the hospital registration desk.

“Good morning,” the receptionist greeted them.

“Tyler Joseph,” Tyler blurted out.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. “What may I help you boys with?”

Josh quickly cut into the conversation. “My lovely friend here is here for his surgery.”

She nodded, and gave him an understanding smile. “Outpatient or inpatient?”

“I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be outpatient,” Tyler mumbled. “I hope...”

The receptionist pointed over to the other end of the corridor. “Great, then you're going to be looking for the outpatient unit. You're gonna go down the hall, make a left and then you'll see a door that says 'Same Day Surgery.' Go through that one and the nice ladies there will get you checked in.”

“Thanks,” Josh said, clasping a hand on Tyler's shoulder. “Come on, Ty.”

“You're welcome.” She waved them off. “Good luck on your surgery!”

“Thank you, I hope I don't die!” Tyler said before being pulled off.

\- - - - -

 

“Josh?”

“Yeah?”

“Does this hospital gown make me look fat?”

Tyler was settled into his bed in the surgery prep area, still just as sarcastic and on edge as ever.

“Yeah, totally, Tyler.” Josh rolled his eyes. “You should relax. They got all your vitals done, you got your IV put in and you're doing awesome so far.”

“No, Josh, I can't relax,” Tyler answered. “And you know why? Because it's six o'clock in the morning, the sun is starting to come up and here I am sitting in a hospital bed, about to get my freaking gallbladder taken out. I didn't even want this in the first place.”

“Yeah, Tyler, but you know what the doctors said; if you don't get it taken out now, it's only going to get worse. Besides, won't it be nice to not feel like crap every time you eat?”

Tyler looked away, huffing. “Yeah... that will be nice.”

“Try to be positive about this,” Josh told him.

“Fine.” Tyler held his hand out. “Let me see your phone then so I can take a picture.”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Um, I'm not sure that's what...”

“Well, I gotta let the clique know what's going on,” Tyler answered, hand still outstretched. “And what better way to do that than a hospital selfie?”

He sighed before handing over his phone. “Only you, TyJo.”

Another hour passed by, doctors and nurses stopping in every so often, before the anesthetist and his team came in the room. He was a lot younger-looking than they anticipated, maybe not too many years older than them, but hopefully he knew what he was doing...

“Okay Tyler, let's get you ready to go back into the operating room.”

His nurses worked at unhooking him from the saline drip and blood pressure machine, while he uncapped a syringe of medicine. “I'm going to give you something to relax you.”

The look on Tyler's face was of sheer panic. He held his hand out to Josh, breath coming out short and harsh. “Josh, Josh, Josh, I'm scared, please don't let me die, please Josh...”

Josh grabbed his hand and held it as tightly as he could, trying to match the bone-crunching grip Tyler had on him. “Ty, Ty, you're okay, shh, shh, you'll be fine, just breathe...”

Tears were already running down Tyler's face as they wheeled him out of the room and down the hallway, hand still holding onto Josh's. “Don't leave me,” he whispered.

Josh swiped the tears off his cheek and managed to give him a small smile. “I'll be right here when you come out, Tyler, I promise.”

The doctor told him he had to let go as they came to a pair of double doors. “I love you, bro, see you soon.”

Tyler mouthed 'Love you too' just before he disappeared behind the doors. It broke Josh to see Tyler like this. But he knew it was just the nerves, it was just Blurry playing games, it was just the medicine they gave him... He knew it was going to be okay.

\- - - - -

 

The buzz of Josh's phone took him out of his waiting room induced trance.

_TyJo's Wifey: How is he doing? Is he out of surgery yet?_

“Nice of you to text,” Josh mumbled to himself.

_They just called with an update not too long ago, he's doing fine, he should be out soon._

Drumming his feet on the floor, Josh tried to find something to occupy his mind with. That was sort of impossible, though, because all he could think about was Tyler. All of their friends had been texting him all morning, along with the clique blowing up his Twitter notifications with questions about whether Tyler was okay and their best wishes. And to make matters worse, Tyler's parents had came not too long after he went back and they had spent the last two hours worrying just as much as Tyler himself. Josh could definitely see where he got it from...

It seemed like ages before the Joseph family got another update call. But Tyler was out of surgery, he had been in the PACU for the past half-hour, he was doing well, just still a bit out of it. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph got first dibs, if you will, to go back and see Tyler, since they were his immediate family.

Josh felt himself becoming more fidgety with every moment that passed by that he was not back there with his best friend, helping him wake up and come back to reality.

Finally, they returned and Mrs. Joseph told Josh that Tyler was already asking for him. And Josh wasn't going to break the promise he made to his best friend, so he went back there as fast as he could.

When he opened the door, Tyler's eyes drifted over and they made eye contact – though Josh wasn't sure too sure if Tyler was looking at him or _above_ him. “Tyler,” he said.

“Josh?” His voice came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper. “Is-is that you?”

“Yeah, it's Josh, I'm here now.” Josh pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down next to him. “How are you feeling buddy?”

“Sucky,” he answered. “Did I die?”

Josh barely stifled a laugh. “No, Tyler, you're still alive.”

Tyler managed to smile a little, though it was more of a sleepy and delirious one than anything. “I'm glad...” He struggled to open his eyes a little wider and meet Josh's glance. “Can't see you.”

“Don't worry about it.

“Josh, Jish, Jersh...” he mumbled to himself. “Hey Josh?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you glad I'm alive?”

Josh knew it was the simplest of questions, and there wasn't much meaning in it coming from a half-conscious Tyler Joseph, yet he still couldn't help the tears burning at the corner of his eyes. Maybe it was because he had been up since four o'clock in the morning; maybe it was because he was still just a little bit on edge; or maybe it was just because he was glad his best friend came through okay.

He took Tyler's hand, clasping his palm around the younger boy’s weak fingers. Tyler closed his eyes and smiled, and this time it was one of those relieved, glad-to-be-here-in-this-moment kind of smiles.

“Jishwa,” he sang out softly. “Jishwa, he's my friend.”

Josh could only smile and listen as his best friend sang nonsensical sweet nothings.

_Tyler's going to be alright, after all._

**Author's Note:**

> right before I had my surgery, they came in my room and gave me some meds to relax me  
> (though it had absolutely no effect on me lmao I have a high tolerance for everything)  
> then they wheeled me back to the OR and hooked me up to a bunch of wires and machines  
> the last thing I remember is them putting the oxygen mask on and me thinking 'oxygen smells weird'
> 
> 10/10 experience would do again
> 
> thank you for reading, much love <3


End file.
